Piṅgiya

1. Piṅgiya.– Chaplain to Brahmadatta, king of Bārāṇasī. He was a former birth of Devadatta (J.iii.161). His story is given in the Venasākha Jātaka(q.v.)

2. Piṅgiya.– Called Piṅgiya-māṇava, nephew and pupil of Bāvarī. At the time that he visited the Buddha with the other disciples he was 120 years old and very feeble. At the end of his discussion with the Buddha, as recorded in the Piṅgiya Sutta (SN. vs. 1120‑23), because of his feebleness, he failed to reach any attainment. Thereupon he praised the Buddha and begged of him to go on. The Buddha taught him further, and he became a Non-returner, failing, however, to attain Arahantship because his mind wandered to his maternal uncle, Bāvarī. His one thousand pupils, however, became Arahants. Later, with the Buddha’s leave, he visited Bāvarī and told him the glad tidings, describing the Buddha’s glory (SN.vs.1131‑45). At the end of his statement, the Buddha, seeing that the minds of both of them were mature, sent forth a ray of light from Sāvatthi and, appearing before them, taught them. Thereupon Bāvarī became a Non-returner and Piṅgiya an Arahant (SNA.ii.603 ﬀ).

Piṅgiya was called māṇava (brahmin youth), even at the age of 120. (SNA.ii.413).

3. Piṅgiya.– One of the seven Non-returners born in the Avihā world, in the company of Ghaṭīkārā (S.i.35, 60). He is described as a bhikkhu, and is therefore probably identical with Piṅgiya (2). The story of the latter having attained Arahantship must, in that case, have been a later legend. It is also possible that Piṅgiya is a variant reading for Piṅgiyānī.